WHO calls for greater attention to violence against women with disabilities, and older women

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Older women, and women with disabilities, are subjected to intimate partner and sexual violence, but also face specific risks and additional forms of abuse, sometimes at the hands of caregivers or healthcare professionals, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, adding that this includes coercive and controlling behaviours such as withholding of medicines and assistive devices or other aspects of care, and financial abuse.

Calling for better research across countries that will help ensure these women are counted, and that their specific needs are understood and addressed, the health agency maintained that older women, and women with disabilities face particular risk of abuse, yet their situation is largely hidden in most global and national violence-related data.

The WHO maintained that data are generally lacking on violence against older women, particularly from low- and middle-income countries. Most data on prevalence and qualitative evidence on violence against older women come from high-income countries and regions, it noted.

Among women aged 60 years and older, a review conducted by the WHO found that physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence remained the most frequently experienced forms of abuse. However, as partners aged, some women reported a shift from predominantly physical and/or sexual violence to psychological violence, including threats of abandonment and other controlling behaviours.

Older women and women with disabilities can be extremely isolated when violence occurs, making it more difficult for them to escape and report the abuse. Stigma and discrimination can further reduce access to services or information, or result in their accounts of violence being dismissed by responders.

"Older women and women with disabilities are under-represented in much of the available research on violence against women, which undermines the ability of programmes to meet their particular needs," Lynnmarie Sardinha, Technical Officer at the WHO.

The WHO added that where there is evidence of gender-based violence amongst these groups, data shows high prevalence.

"One systematic review found greater risks of intimate partner violence for women with disabilities compared with those without, while another also found higher rates of sexual violence,'' it said, while recommending several measures to address evidence gaps.

Noting that older women are currently represented in only about 10% of data on violence against women, this includes extending the age limit for survey participation. The WHO also suggests incorporating questions relating to different types of violence, encompassing a broad spectrum of disabilities. The information briefs released by the WHO stress that older women and women with disabilities and their representative organisations should be engaged in all phases and aspects of survey design and implementation, to ensure they are appropriate and user-friendly. Formats like Braille or EasyRead can expand accessibility.

Alongside the briefs, WHO has developed a survey module to support data collection on violence against older women, to be used alongside existing surveys. Resources to support disability inclusion will be released later in the year.